Winter Birding- Seasonal Citizen Science for Everyone!

Photo: USFWS
Photo: USFWS

Citizen scientists have been studying birds for over 100 years, and some of the most popular projects involve observing birds throughout the winter.  Below, we highlight five projects that study birds during the winter.  Whether you want to watch birds while outdoors or from the comfort of your home, we have a project for you!  Find more with the SciStarter Project Finder.

Cheers!
The SciStarter Team

Photo: USFWS
Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey
In the United States, volunteers are needed in the first half of January to look for eagles along standard survey routes. It’s always a treat to count these majestic birds!

Photo: USFWS
Puget Sound Seabird Survey 
From October to April, volunteers in Washington state walk the coastline counting overwintering water birds. Data are collected on over 50 species!

Photo: USFWS
South Texas Wintering Birds
Many birds spend the winter in South Texas. If you go birding anywhere in the region, either in an urban or rural area, report your bird sightings to this project.

Photo: Jean Pennycock
Study Adelie Penguin Breeding
This is a great project for classrooms in November through January. Using online photos and data from Antarctica, students can study Adelie Penguin behavior. The project offers many online resources for educators.

Photo: USFWS
Project FeederWatch
If you enjoy watching birds from your window, this is the perfect project for you! In North America, citizen scientists can observe and report on the birds visiting their feeders during the winter months.

Help SciStarter help you! Take this 10 minute survey on what information you find most important about projects. Check out SciStarter’s Project Finder! With 1100+ projects spanning every field of research, task and age group, there’s something for everyone!

Categories: Birds, Citizen Science, Newsletter

Tags: , , , , ,

About the Author

Eva Lewandowski

Eva Lewandowski

Eva Lewandowski is the Citizen-based Monitoring Coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where she coordinates a statewide citizen science network. She has a PhD in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota and is an active volunteer.